GATWICK Airport Reopens After Drone Threat & Two Arrests

GATWICK Airport,  Britain’s second busiest airport, has resumed functioning amidst tightest ever security cover  after remaining shutdown for about 36 hours   following sighting of drones.657 flights were cancelled .Tens of thousands of passengers were stranded and inconvenienced .Most of them had no other alternative but to spend the night at the airport. The airport said in a statement that Gatwick’s runway is “now available and aircraft are arriving and departing.”We are, however, expecting knock-on delays and cancellations to flights,” it said. “If you are due to travel from Gatwick today, we strongly recommend that you check the status of your flight with your airline before departing for the airport.”Airlines also advised customers to check their flight status before going to Gatwick because numerous cancellations and delays are expected. By late morning, some 145 of Gatwick’s scheduled 837 Friday flights had been cancelled, the statement aired by BBC said.The Gatwick statement suggests authorities are concerned the drones may be seen again, which would likely lead to a fresh closure of the runway. There were repeated sightings Thursday, and authorities decided any flight operations would be unsafe. Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said there had been about 40 sightings of “a small number of drones” while the airport was shut down. He told the BBC the drone disruption at Gatwick was “unprecedented anywhere in the world.”Grayling however has  refused to say what security protection had been added overnight but said the airport is considered safe for flights even though the drone operator has not been apprehended. Grayling cited additional “military capabilities” and “a range of measures” that had been put in place but would not provide details. The British military has joined police and aviation authorities in the search for the culprit or culprits behind the drone intrusion, which police said was designed to cause maximum disruption over the holiday period. Officials say shooting down a drone remains a “tactical option” but there are concerns that any weapon used to attack the drone could inadvertently hurt people on the ground.(image courtesy to Eagle Online )